The Bismarck Tribune Newspaper, October 21, 1918, Page 6

HE KISMARCK “TRIBUNE ; \ a 5 (9 Bes ~ = = , é ; = rs M. an ‘ Ne “A, JUSTICE ROBINSON, . ao id 4 Nonpartisan League Jurist Whe. ; a Polled' a-Vote Two Years Ago © ° os Nearly Equal to That of the : : : * = League Governor. — - - - as : ee. Foe ha Z | > State of North Dakota Aes ed CHAMBERS OF ©, ee et haa : ‘i ' Why ee es Beatie Bor ela JAMES E. ROBINSON SUPREME COURT . , : 2 we on the invitation of the Bismarck Com- _ ewes ' : - oa ‘mercial-Club to discuss the proposed ASSOCIATE JUSTICE f : 2 amendments to the State Constitu- \ jo ' te ae, ee tion? . ie ia z een eee, me Why did Gov. Frazier veto the ter- . Z : ; : 4 : ae - ete minal elevator bill? s 2 cgi aan Ley fogs! ! Bismarck, N. D.,-Oct. 19, 1918. - ri , Why does not the Courier-News and = . ; ysl bp Bg SO wh 1G VEN ; Leader print Judge Robinson’s letter Se : e ae Cie : ip ts ‘ regarding the constitutional amend- “Do you care for the opinion of your humble servant on the tén constitutional.amendments to be ‘submitted: ‘ \ ments? _ to the voters in November?” z A ; Pi is ote pot en ue _ Why did the League caucus refuse ' “Seven of them are by initiative petition; three by the legislative assembly... AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERS ' os eee ne ee eee sO ATION I DO ADVISE YOU TO VOTE AGAINST ALL OF THEM EXCEPTING THESE THREE: i Why is it necessary to remove the “1, The initiative and referendum as applied to legislation. ..- ~ Bae ; ; clause in the constitution that forbids “2. The constitutional amendments, or the manner of amending the constitution. ESS ; the levying “ taxes for any purpose “3, Public ownership of industries.” Be ; es = pe - a WHO. EXPECTS TO. PROFIT BY “Under the first two amendments it will be much easier for the people t).make-and,amend the laws and the THIS? DO YOU? constitution. To the first measure there is just one objection. : It provides that 7,000 electors at large may by If you cut this clause out of the con- referendum petition suspend the operation: of any measure enacted by the legislature, excepting on emerzency \ stitution the public would be about in the same position as an engineer run- ning a steam engine without a safety valve, governor, steam gauge, or wa- ter guage. It might be exciting, but could hardly be conducive of comfort’ and happiness. Let us keep private interests from looting our -public treasury. Leave the taxing power where it is. The debt limit is high enough now to suit hon- est, hard working people. If you vote yes, you vote for higher taxes and open the door to grafters. If you adopt the ten amendments you abolish private ownership in land. When you forfeit your right to own private property, you surrender your liberty with it. . Liberty is based on the right to ac- quire the title to and enjoy the posses- sion of property. Without this right man becomes as of old, a serf attached to the soil as part of the estate. Society has fought for this right since the dawn of civilization. Socialism will {be an accomplished fact if the ten - amendments are adopted. \ eee EN DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES FOR \ THE LEGISLATURE ~ | Burleigh County—27th District. F. O. Hellstrom, J. M. Victor Moyaier ri pet ces If elected will vote NO on all the amendments. POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENT measures. That makes it too easy for a few dissatisfied voters to suspend the operation of nearly all legisla- tion. It is a serious defect which it will be necessary to remedy in two years. ; “4 “The public ownership amendment is by far the-most important of the whole bunch. Under it the state,each county and each city may engage in any industry, enferprise or business, the same as a fatural person.. It may learn to make an honest existence instead of forever remaining a beggar, a nursling or a tyrant exacting trib- ute from the people. If the state corporation cannot leart! to live or exist—the' same as other corporations, the same as New Zealand—without levying tributes, it deserves to perish from the garth. - °~ Gene Bors “The purpose of the bonding amendment is good and beneficient but it is stibject to several objections., It is too vague and indefinite; its meaning is not obvious; itslimitations are open to dispute. It seems to contemplate the mortgaging of state property and public utilities when there is no occasion for a state, county or city to mort- - gage any of its property. It does neither describe the bonds to be issued nor make them a legal.tendex in pay- ment’of taxes nor exempt them from taxation. A bonding amendment should be in words few andiprecise, and not subject to any dispute, and so that its imprint on a bond would make it as current as gold or legal tendér.. “And, as the purpose of a bonding amendment should be to promote some gréat industry and to make it a grand success, the voters should know the nature of the industry and the-assurances of success.” There SHOULD BE NO VOTING BLINDLY OR IN.DARKNESS. *TO MAKE BONDING PAY A GOOD DIVIDEND IT MUST BE DONE WISELY; THERE MUST BE GOOD MANAGEMENT, A GOOD ENTERPRISE AND GOOD PUB- LIC SERVICE. Without good service, it-is vain to hope for success in either a public or private business ; and, as we all know, thus far the state-public service has been very inefficient. Such service would quickly lead to the wreck and'ruin of any- business enterprise. Hence, before the issuing of bonds, it seems that Something should be done.to batter the. public service so thatit may equal in efficiency the service of any bank or business corpora- tion. This point ALL OUR POLITICIANS AND STATE OFFICERS DO IGNORE BECAUSE THEY HAVE ALL BEEN EQUALLY GUILTY. With few exceptions, everyone has been willing to steal his time and to leave his work undone. The policy of each party is to denounce the other, to pound the devil on the back without attempting to show how to better conditions. E Sgr “Besides, it does not seem at all necessary for a state, a county or a city’to vote or issue bonds before engaging in any industry. The state keeps a good deposit account in nearly every.bank in-the state; each county, in every bank of the’county,; and each city, in évery bank pf the city. : a “James Hill had no such resources when he commenced the building of his railroads-and made hundreds of millions of dollars. The great packers commenced with only a few thousand dollars, and for many years they have amassed great wealth and levied great tributes on all the western, world on every producer and every consumer of meats. And so it is with the other big corporations that have long been exploiting the resources of the state A and making the citizens hewers of wood and drawers of water. 3 2, : ’ “In Utopia the public industries and utilities are conducted through state couporations in which there is always a union of public’ and private eapi- tal, represented by public directors and private directors. The one gives fore and power, the other, assurance and efficiency. Banking, insurang, rail- yoz.ding and every such special business is conducted by a special state corporation under expert management, and so it is in New Zealand. And these are matters worthy of consideration. s Ng : “SO I SAY TO YOU BY ALL MEANS DO VOTE YES ON THE THREE AMENDMENTS AND ON THE OTHERS VOTE A BIG NO. PROVE ALL THINGS AND HOLD FAST TO‘THAT WHICH IS GOOD. At the election in 1920, when amendments will be submitted in a state pamphlet, with _ reasons for and against each amendment, then it will be much egsier for the voters tg act wisely.‘ There will be plenty.of time to consider and to vote Yours truly s J. E. ROBINSON, Associate Justice.” for good measures. Soa : gen { a ‘ Se ~ BURLEIGH COUNTY DEMOCRATIC CENTRAL COMMITTEE, By F. 0. HELSTROM, CHAIRMAN \ ~ . ty r = ‘ Box ‘ \ seis % c ; ere x hoes Z » uNMLNCLUNOAEOUAGGApLOUOEACOUUCUNOLOUAHEUUAAEqauucnuauaranoccuepeoncuancogucesnagnencunicqocaducuaoasnunnreiat MM LL CM TAHITI TIETTETTTTTEEAyTNEEETTTAHE Ee essHeeETTEOTTETT TACHA ERNE SUCUUUUANNAUUOOVAAUAOALAACAUANAANAAUGROSUAGEREVAUURUOUAOGEOOOLOQELORR GUAAALAAAAANANEONULEGACELUNONUGOUUCOUUGODUSAGOGAUCAUOONUOONigHY MUM